Process of treating food products in cans.



No. 686,259. Patented Nov. I2, IQOI.

D. CAM ERON &. H. CLINGEN.- PROCESS OF TREATING FOOD PRODUCTS IN CANS.

(Application filed Mar. 1, 1901.)

(No Model.) 3 Sh Sheet I.

WITNESSES: W *7 No. 686,259. Patented Nov. I2, I91".

I]. CAMERON & H. GLINGEN. PROCESS OF TREATING FOOD PRODUCTS IN CANS.

(Application filed Mar. 1, 1901.)

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

WITNESSES IN VE N TORS By (44/. W w

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No. 686,259. Patented Nqv. I2, [90L n. CAMERON & H. GLINGEN. PROCESS OFTREATING FOOD PRODUCTS IN CANS.

(Application filed Mat. 1, 1901.)

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 3.

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UNITED A STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL CAMERON, OF IIANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, AND HARRY CLINGEN, Oh SOUTHOMAHA, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNORS TO CUDAHY PACKING COMPANY, OF CHICAGO,ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

PROCESS OF TR EA TlNG FOOD PRODUCTS lN CANS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 686,259, dated November12, 1901. Application filed March 1,1901. Serial No. 49.402. (Nospecimens.)

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Beit known that we, DANIEL CAMERON, residing at Kansas City, in thecounty of Jackson and State of Missouri, and HARRY CLIN- GEN, residingat South Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, citizensof the United States, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Processes of Preserving Food Products, (Case No. 1,) of

which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification.

Our invention is a process for preserving i 5 food products; and itsobject is to accomplish the treatment of the food product which isnecessary to its preservation in a rapid, economical, and thoroughmanner, while retaining the nutritive value of such-food and, so far aspossible, its natural flavor.

It is essential to the preservation of. food products, and especiallymeats, that may be transported to warm climates that they be inclosed inhermetically-sealed packages, the

z 5 entire contents of which are thoroughly sterilized. This isaccomplished by subjecting the can and its contents to a heat which willproduce as nearly as possible a sterile condition of the contents of thecan and by Withdrawing as far as possible the air which may be in thecan in order to insure still further the absence of the bacteria, whichcause decay.

It is important that the process of withdrawing the air from the cansand sealing them, the heating of the cans and their contents, and thenthe cleansing and cooling of the cans be done as expeditiously aspossible, both from the point of view of economy in production and fromthe point of view of quality of the product. Too'long cooking of thecontents of the can destroys in a measure the nutritive value of thefood and impairs its flavor. It is desirable, too, that the at- 5tendant may have under his control the time for which the heating of thecan shall continue. One food product requires longer cooking thananother, and the time for which any one food product should be cooke dcooking-tank which are employed in carrying differs with the temperatureto which it is subjected.

Our process is an improvement upon the processes heretofore employed tosecure these results-,and consists in the method hereinafterparticularly set forth.

We will describe our invention by reference to the accompanyingdrawings, in Which- Figure 1 shows the complete apparatus by means ofwhich the various steps of our process are carried out. Fig. 2 shows inelevation the vacuum-chamber, the basket, and

out certain steps of our process, together with various accessoriesassociated with these instrumentalities. Fig. 3 shows the cleansingtankand conveyor by which the packages containing the food products arecleaned, Figs. 4 and 4 show the cooling-duct or windtrunk partly brokenaway to show the conveying mechanism contained therein. Fig. 5 is asectional elevation of the same windtrunk by which the final step of ourprocess is performed.

The cans are passed from the table A into the vacuum-chamber B, wherethey are passed beneath the transparent plate B. The air is continuallyexhausted from the vacuumchamber and by means of a vent-hole in the canthe air within the can is exhausted. While still in this vacuum-chamberand after the air has been withdrawn from the can, the vent-hole issealed by means of an electric solderingiron. This particular operationconstitutes no part of our invention, and we do not consider that it isnecessary further to describe this step in the process, as it isfamiliar to .those skilled in the art After the can has been scaled asabove described it is Withdrawn from the vacuum-chamber and passed tothe table C, whence it may be conveyed as occasion requires by means ofthe belt D running over the pulleys D into the basket E, which issuspended upon the overhead track G by means of the air-hoist F, whichpermits the basket to be raised and lowered and adjusted in a positionto receive the cans as they are delivered from the belt D. When thebasket E is loaded with cans,

it is carried by means of the overheadtrack to the tank H, which ispartially filled with a liquid, preferably one which does not vaporizeat a temperature considerably in excess of 212, such as lard or tallow.This permits the heating of the liquid to a high degree, and thusfacilitates the cooking of the food products in the sealed cans. Theattendant is able to determine with accuracy the time required for thecooking. By cooking is meant the heating of the cans and their contentsin the vat H for the purpose of thoroughly sterilizing the contents ofthe cans. The length of time required for the cooking depends upon thecontents of the cans and also upon the'heat of the liquid, as is wellknown to those skilled in the art. After the cans with their contentshave been subjected to the sterilizing heat for a sufficient length oftime the basket E is withdrawn from the heating liquid and is carried bymeans of the overhead track G, as is shown in Fig. 1, toa point where itmay be tilted and deliver the cans to the conveyer I, which is providedwith the pockets 1 I to receive the cans and to carry them through thecleansing-vat I, which is provided with a cleansing solution, preferablyheated and preferably consisting of bicarbonate of soda and water. Afterthe cans have been cleansed by this process they are automaticallydelivered upon the table J and are then ready for the final step of theprocess, so far as our invention is concerned. This consists in theautomatic cooling of the cans by conveying them through awind-trunk Kupon the conveyor N, which delivers the cans to the perpendicular'conveyer 0, carried upon the sprocket-wheels. This lastnamed conveyercarries the cans to the labeling-table, which is not shown, as this doesnot concern the process of our invention.

cans in a direction opposite that in which they are moving as they arecarried along upon the conveyer N by means of the blower P, which isdriven by the shaft Q, which, together with other driven machinery whichis shown, is operated by any suitable prime mover, such as a motor,preferably geared to the driving-shaft. The air may be cooled in anysuitable way and brought to the windtrunk K through the pipe L. By meansof this cold blast thus applied we are able to cool the cans and theircontents quickly and to dry the surfaces of the cans at the same time.This cooling by the cold-air blast also involves a very smallexpenditure of power.

Our entire process enables us to sterilize the contents of sealed metalpackages thoroughly, subjecting them to the proper amount of heat tosecure this result without losing the esase natural juices of the meator other contents of the can, and thus assist in preserving the naturalflavor of the food and all its nutritive value. The immediate cooling bythe coldair blast (the moisture being extracted from the air, ifdesired) assists in accomplishing the perfect treatment of the foodproduct in the cans.

The difierent steps in the treatment above described, to which the canscontaining meat or other food product are subjected, may be summarizedas, first, venting; second, sealing; third, cooking; fourth, cleansing,and, fifth, cooling.

The fifth step, which consists in cooling by a blast of air directedupon the cans as they are conveyed away from the cleansing-vat in adirection opposite to that in which they are moving, is broadly new withus. In the other steps certain specific improvements are of ourinvention.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The herein-described process of treating food products in canswhichconsists in venting the cans, sealing them, immersing them in a heatedliquid, subjecting them to a cleansing-bath in a heated alkalinesolution, passing them through a Wind-trunk, and forcing a current ofair upon them in a direction opposite to that in which they are moving,substantially as described.

2. The herein-described process of treating food products in cans whichconsists invent ing the cans, sealing them in vacu'o, immersing them ina heated liquid, subjecting them to a cleansing-bath in a heatedalkaline solution, passing them through a wind-trunk, and forcing acurrent of air upon them in a direction opposite to that in which theyare moving, substantially as described. A blast of cold air is forcedagainst the a food products in cans which consists in vent- 5 ing thecans, sealing them in 'vacuo, immersl ing them in a heated liquid,subjecting them 5 to a cleansing-bath in a heated solution ofbicarbonate of soda, passing them through a 3. The herein-describedprocess of treating wind-trunk, and forcing a current of air upon themin a direction opposite to that in which they are moving, substantiallyas described.

In witness whereof we hereunto subscribe our names this 21st day ofFebruary, A. D. 1901.

DANIEL CAMERON, HARRY OLINGEN. Witnesses:

' O. O. FITCH,

T. W. TALIAFERRO, E. W. BOYLES, F. I. CLARK.

